The winter of 2023/2024 is slowly approaching and the foundations for its weather are already being laid. The latest forecasts show a colder trend and a strong influence of a new El Niño event. However, two other factors are being monitored that are known to have an impact on the winter in the United States, Canada and Europe. The global weather system is complex, with many large and small weather factors. The growing El Niño phenomenon will have a major impact on the 2023/2024 winter in the Northern Hemisphere. But there is also the infamous Polar Vortex and a new anomaly high in the stratosphere. The image below shows the actual pressure anomalies in the winter of 2009/2010. That winter featured a very interesting dance between El Niño and the Polar Vortex, creating a very impressive cold winter pattern. (Andrej Flis)